Eldest (#2 Inheritance Cycle)

Christopher Paolini

"Darkness falls . . . Despair abounds . . . Evil reigns . . . Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in magic and swo...

How the World Really Works: A Scientist's Guide to Our Past, Present, and Future

Vaclav Smil

Delightfully contrarian, this is the one book you need to read to understand our modern world.  We have never had so much information at our fingertips and yet most of us don't know how the world really works. This book explains seven of the most fundamental realities governing our survival and prosperi...